The Carlos Gomez comparison came up Saturday. Blue mentioned it, and I maybe like it better than Mike Cameron I had been talking about b/c I don't see Taylor having the same plate discipline.

I suggest that you look at the replacements as not straight Taylor for Span and instead look at the effect on the team offense and defense as Taylor and Turner for Span and Desi. Turner will be the leadoff guy, and Taylor will be the #6 - #8 hitter. That may end up a slight power upgrade, a wash on OBP, and an upgrade in speed. For 3 or so years, that will be at about $30MM cheaper and with superior defense. If that is the difference between a Rendon or Harper extension or a Greinke acquisition in place of JZ/Fister, then I will be happy with the swap out.

Plus, it just is plain fun to see guys with upside potential work to realize it. Much more than watching guys decline while they play out their paychecks. Span deserves a good pay day. If that is here, then I can live with a couple of years more of Turner as the 4th outfielder, but I would not want it to come at the expense of more important signings.

The Carlos Gomez comparison came up Saturday. Blue mentioned it, and I maybe like it better than Mike Cameron I had been talking about b/c I don't see Taylor having the same plate discipline.

I suggest that you look at the replacements as not straight Taylor for Span and instead look at the effect on the team offense and defense as Taylor and Turner for Span and Desi. Turner will be the leadoff guy, and Taylor will be the #6 - #8 hitter. That may end up a slight power upgrade, a wash on OBP, and an upgrade in speed. For 3 or so years, that will be at about $30MM cheaper and with superior defense. If that is the difference between a Rendon or Harper extension or a Greinke acquisition in place of JZ/Fister, then I will be happy with the swap out.

Plus, it just is plain fun to see guys with upside potential work to realize it. Much more than watching guys decline while they play out their paychecks. Span deserves a good pay day. If that is here, then I can live with a couple of years more of Turner as the 4th outfielder, but I would not want it to come at the expense of more important signings.

I've posted it so many times I am sure some posters are sick of it, but the Nats have tons of payroll opening up with the trajectory Taylor and Turner are on as well as Joe Ross looking like someone who can jump into the starting rotation (and Roark having excelled when given consistent starts), to the tune of $48 million between Span/ZNN/Desmond/Fister alone. That is enough money to keep Span or ZNN (if they want) then start budgeting for other needs.

Right, it was a great play. The difference between Taylor and Span is, if it had been Span who made that play, nobody would be talking about it, because it would have been a routine play for Span, he would have made it look easy.

The only reason I am comparing Taylor and Burns is because we traded Burns out of the system for a reliever. I didn't like the trade at the time, even if Taylor and Goodwin (at the time) were better prospects.

I have gone back and forth this season wishing it was Taylor and not Burns in that trade.

If it was real, it would be repeatable across multiple seasons, but "Very few players have the ability to be consistently clutch over the course of their careers, and choking in one season does not beget the same in the future."